Finding the right place

2017年3月18日 (土)

You hear all the time how your environment affects your health. At every level, from the national all the way down to the cafe where you choose to relax, your environment has a significant influence on your well being. Hence our desire to escape the “rat race” from time to time and catch our breaths in a different milieu. Beach trips, world heritage site tours, camping in forests – all of these are common examples of people actively seeking to change their environment – if only temporarily.

Forty years ago my grandmother left Washington DC with her family to retire to the countryside. The farm that she bought became a hub for our extended family, and growing up nearby in the country had a deep impact on my character. Nowadays, I prefer city living (although Chuo-ku isn’t what I’d call a dense urban center.) But every so often I like to escape the city and change my surroundings, too.

So this is just a reminder of sorts that you can always change your surroundings if you really need to. Maybe you can’t go on vacation so easily, but things like a new cafe, apartment or even job aren’t that hard to find. It’s just a matter of being proactive enough to do it.